E-12 Education Budget
NEW: Links to the Governor’s budget recommendations added below the fold.
We invite you to contribute your ideas for the state’s E-12 Education budget. This forum is a space for you to join the discussion on how the state should prioritize funding for these issues.
(click images to enlarge)
NEW: Links to the Governor’s budget recommendations for E-12 education programs.
Perpich Center for Arts Education
Try to be as specific as possible in your comments so that your suggestions can be fully utilized by the E-12 Education Budget Division Committee. Thank you for adding your ideas to the discussion.
You may also share your ideas directly with your local Senator:
Follow this link to look up contact information for your Senator.
Follow this link to look up who represents you.
To learn more about the Senators who serve on the E-12 Education Budget Committee, follow this link.
Fridley
January 15th, 2009 at 6:29 am
With the proposed joint purchasing bill, I would hope that you all realize that a good majority of schools already do this - SO this being an answer to all of our problems is based on a false premise. Also, adding more unfunded mandates is not the way to help schools during this tough time. I totally disagree with the state mandating purchasing procedures for schools!
Champlin
January 15th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
The special needs children should be in school in one place so the special teachers can concentrait on the children rather than going from school to school.
Do not build the train from MPLS to ST.Paul until it is either in the air or under ground. Like Chicago “L”
Do not fund E-85.
Wayzata
January 15th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
As the largest portion of the general fund, education should see the largest cut. Cut the fat that is. There is way too much administration. Get the money to the kids. Pay the young energetic and GOOD teachers more. Stop with the tenure nonsense. We all know who the good teachers are and they deserve more than the lazy tenured teacher by far! Stop with the union pay scales…this helps noone. Small class size does nothing for learning…that is proven. Increase class size to decrease the number of teachers (read union members)and certainly decrease the number of administrators.
Red Wing
January 16th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Wow! It’s cool to have this open forum for rational discussion. Then again, I’m sure the folks at Wayzata are only too proud to be initially represented by the Limbaugh Looney-bin. “Break the unions! Break the unions!” oops - that was my oxycontin flashback…
Every rational, attentive soul in America knows that just like with private corporations, education needs one major financial component fixed first - - Health Care. It’s time the state legislature Over-rides T. Paw and passes the Statewide Health Bill so every district can begin cutting back on those wasted third party expenses and pooling resources for even-keeled costs and coverage for all. It’s not a cure-all, but it’s the right first, rational step for this state . . . until Obama can pass that communist federally run health program I’ve been reading about on Ann Coulter’s blog!
This forum obviuosly won’t be useful unless it remains rational.
North Saint Paul
January 16th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Education employees receive benefits far richer than their private sector counterparts. Retirees also receive benefits in my school district. I suggest the State not fund any benefits greater than the average private sector company offers. My district’s teacher contract includes long-term disabilty coverage and a prepaid legal plan. These would be the obvious places to cut. Cuts such as these are taking place all over the country and would save dollars without effecting the classroom.
fergus falls
January 16th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
It is common in private business for employers to provide incentives to their employees to help the business save money. It is also too common in govt that budgets are “use it or lose it” from year to year. Units of govt should create an environment where depts and employees are rewarded for their cost saving measures (by rcvg a portion of the savongs?) And depts and agencies should not be forced to spend down (and, thus, waste money) to avoud losing money the next year.
Sauk Centre
January 16th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Put a cap on the total amount that a person can collect as a total of all government pensions at $100,000.
Saint Cloud
January 17th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
An area to look for efficiencies would be in our K-12 school systems. We have too many districts, not too many schools. If ROCORI and St, Cloud were one district, would St. Cloud have recently closed schools while ROCORI is talking about building schools. It we added the growing Sartell and Sauk Rapids districts to this example how much would be saved?. Yes, I know every community wants its own schools but can we afford the duplication of administration to the extent we have in Minnesota? The state is paying for most of the cost of administration and faculty, the local property taxpayers pay for most of the facilities. It=s the local taxpayer who then pays for lack of coordination between geographic areas such as the ROCORI - St. Cloud situation. There must be another model that could be used.
Carver
January 17th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
First off, move this program back to K-12. The government has absolutely no business being involved in educational activities before Kindergarten.
Second: Fire every “Administrator” in the Minneapolis and St Paul school districts. It is criminal that these people are consuming $16k per pupil with terrible results. Privatize the schools in these districts with a “performance” based compensation program.
Third: Get the state out of the public schools. Flatten the amount contributed per pupil across all districts so it is equal; if the community wants to invest more into their district; it is their choice; not the states. This approach creates accountability where it should be; in the school district.
Cannon Falls
January 18th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Gov. Pawlenty sees the merit in joint purchasing of school supplies, and Tim Bowes is right to suggest a bigger step is to pass the statewide pooling for employees’ healthcare insurance. The increased employee pool reduces the risk (cost).
Cold Spring
January 19th, 2009 at 8:59 am
In MN approx’ 45% of children are not ready to enter kindergarten and almost 50% of those in jail do not have a high school diploma, is there a connection? We can build and maintain more schools or jails, hire more guards or more teachers.
When considering an expansion or relocation business leaders look first and foremost for a well educated workforce who are able to adapt, change and problem solve. The challenge is not to create workers, but lifelong learners. The long term job growth in MN will not be in traditional areas, but in new high tech, environmental and science/medical areas. How important is a good public education, no matter where you live in MN and your parents income, for all MN students?
Chaska
January 19th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
At 42% of the budget, K-12 education cannot be immune from funding reductions; it should sustain real dollar reductions in line with every other portion of the budget. When workers in every other sector are enduring wage freezes or reductions and even layoffs, the workers in the schools need to do so,too. We can’t and shouldn’t try to balance the budget on the backs of young children, the uninsured, the elderly, the working poor, and/or the “rich” while excluding a sector that is nearly half of the budget. It is not sustainable, realistic, or responsible to attempt to do so. Remember, too, that more dollars does not equal more quality.
Jordan
January 21st, 2009 at 10:14 am
In looking at health care i believe that there is definitely things we can do.
operate on the same basis as a private corporation. pay for performace. What criteria should a teacher have to get higher pay. (IE we have had three students out of ten move into advanced math from my class) PAy them for communicating the need and mentoring the children to excel and make them whole (paying them more) for creating a better product. have a group of parents who have been successful do this. that is the only way we can compete with societies that are educating their children at higher and higher levels than we are.
1) ask those parents willing to be trained to be assistants in our schools 1-3 hours per day to assist teachers. (you can run background checks and alcohol and drug use)
2) Administration conduct “peer” reviews with the school boards so that referendum dollars are not spent adding additional pay to salary’s for the same work product.
3) Develop fundraising efforts with outside the box thinking. Forcing my child to sell candy bars for her already obese classmates is a bad policy. Consolidate purchasing with vendors willing to commit resources back to the school for specific funding items. (No TARP fund debacles please) Ie local grocer if all families identified with the middle school purchase their groceries here we will commit x amount per year to fund Y program.
4) charter schools: oversight,testing and independent audits. We are spending alot of taxpayers money on programs that do not provide real world results. Charter schools should be tracked to include how many graduates reach college and enroll.
5) buildings having state tax dollars spent to create Architectual fronts for building that need to be functional not “pretty” spending $100,000 to have an achetetual piece to a building but to eliminate a functional piece such as a pool should be reviewed. We need to get back to the basics. Funtion and vesatiity vs design awards with Tax payer dollars. Pretty building are for Colleges with private endowments.
6) Education should partner with businesses that cannot find qualified candidates to fill positions. Plumbers and blue collar employers should look to germany for the best system in terms of turning out high quality candidates to fill job positions. There are many kids who feel “forced” to go to college becaue they see no other way to make a living. Therefore jobs that pay well and need people to fill the rolls go unfilled, vacant or moved overseas. We need to perfect a system that a child can “plug in” and be mentored at any given stage taht here is an interest. Skill sets need to become diversifed so that if an individual is laid off in one job field (IE IT consulting) that they can pick up in another Job field and continue making a living wage. (Ie computer repair)
7) Today as a parent if I knew that my $300 dollars would go towards a specific need. (Lets say I designate the $300 to pay for uniforms for the football team) I would have the capacity to say I was unable to afford it the next year I could pick and choose an amount (if I became unemployed) vs a referendum which is basically a blank check which seems to always go towards administration salaries or somewhere where there is a lack of transparency. This would make me feel better about spending an additional 4 hours per day at work to pay for these expenses.
Circle Pines
January 21st, 2009 at 1:11 pm
The best way to make our education system better is to allow competition into our system, but don’t tell Education Minnesota that. They might have to take their commercials off the air.
Anoka
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
If in hennepin county spends $16,000 per student and a family with 4-6 kids pays NO taxes…Who makes up that $64-96,000 subsidy (A lota Moola) for those families…Eay??
Does the money grow on a trees? No… Government steals it from Peter & Paula to pay Paul & Pedro! It and other givaways can’t continue because it is unsustainable….Citizens legal and illegal must contribute to the system or we will fall…it morally and fiscally wrong to ask others to pay the way of non payers who make bad life decisions!
St. Paul
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:54 am
When speaking of budgets our minds quickly turn to money, not people. Education is about people…young and old. And none of these comments here were written by children, only we older folks who want to hang onto our money! And to approach education funding with an “across the board” mentality is dangerous, and misleading; with this, you cut what is important and save only pennies. Instead, cut the frills of technology, and consultants and things that stray from true education–children and teachers in the classroom. Stop comparing education to a “business model”…learning is not a business. Many failed Charter Schools are examples of that, where greed and corruption of the business approach has run its course. There is a reason why we have a government, to oversee the rampant private interests–our failed economy is example of this. So, why are we continuing a discussion and “suggestions” on doing the same? Education is a social benefit…not always a private benefit. That’s why we live in the “United” States. Do not focus on cutting teachers and their wages and retirement funds, for anyone who has tried to teach even one child, much less over 30 in a class, has earned every penny. And, it is narrow thinking to see a big piece of the pie and think that it deserves a big cut.
St Paul
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:28 am
A single payer health plan will save the state millions of education dollars plus jobs in many areas other than education. The high cost of health care is being driven by the wasteful practices and expenditures of the insurance companies. The state gives money to schools and schools pay the healthcare industry not just for care but unnecessary high cost administration, promotions, marketing and duplicative research activities. A Medicare single payer plan for all citizens would reduce if not eliminate most these costs and help get the state budget back on track. It is time to look at what works and not get hung up on political ideologies.
Hamburg
January 24th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Families that pay property taxes ought to given the opportunity to decline their payment. In exchange for being relieved of their portion of property taxes going to public schools the expectation is the property owner will use the money to send their children to a private school or home school the child.
It is time a strong message is sent to public school system. The Government is an ATM. Yes, I do believe society places little empathesis on the importance of teachers but that does not immediately translate into the belief of higher pay. Performance is an equal issue here.
As to the comment made above by Mark Greylson in comparing the percent of children not ready for Kindergarten and people in jail without a high school diploma, education of the child begins at home. It is the responsibility of the parents to prepare their child for the start of school and not the government. Parents need be accountable for bringing a child into the world and that starts with educating them.
red wing
January 24th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
My main concern, is our childrens future and the hope for their American dream! The American dream is for an individual to reach personal goals set by themselves. To reach these goals that individual has to take it upon themselves to make it happen. There is not another country in the world that comes close to allowing their citizens the availability to reach these goals. The main problem, as I see it, is the break down in our family structure. If a child has stability from their parents that child usually will succeed. If a child does not get the proper amount of love, compassion, and structured upbringing, that child is not likely to succeed. You can throw all the money you want at all of these problems but until you are able to get to the true root of our desensitized citizenship, that money will be waisted. I’m tired of being at work or shopping somewhere and all of these kids and adults are swearing and being jerks. They have no respect for themselves and so they have no respect for others. Its time to fix this. Parents need to take extra time to involve themselves in their childrens’ lives. Healthier minds creates healthier bodies which will help curb costs on all things.
Another problem I see is this mentality that government can fix our ills. I’m sorry to all of our representatives, and I know you all are trying to do your best at helping, but people, DO IT YOURSELF, health care is NOT a right. Lets start from the beginning of this issue. If we were to go to government controlled health care, which has failed everywhere, you really need to think how this would effect your life concerning a national health care system. Imagine starting tomorrow, you get “free” health care. Well, all of your neighbors and their neighbors are all excited because they can now get their hand looked at or they feel a little bit of a cold coming on. “Hey, I can go to the doctor for “free” now”. Then, the lines are getting longer and longer and since they are getting longer and longer you wait and you wait to see the doctor, have you noticed your wait at the doctors’ office has been longer lately? Ok, now since the governement controls the spending of this “free” health care, will they now have to cap how much a doctor can make and would the government have to have the say in which person really needs care or not. The answer is YES!!! As it is right now the people who are getting their health care through the state have to have their doctors fill out forms in order for the treatment to be appoved. So, some person in an office thousand miles away will be deciding if your treatment is needed. Should that not be your doctors’ and your decision? Now, ask yourself this, now if my doctor has no extra insentive to earn extra money is that doctor going to work as hard for me? I hope all of you know that when our ancestors first got here they tried socialism in their communities, it did not work because there will always be people who will figure out they don’t have to work as hard to reap the benefits of the people that do. I am in favor of taking care of people who cannot take care of themselves. We need to help people with their self esteem so they feel pride in what they can and WILL accomplish in this great nation.
Minneapolis
January 25th, 2009 at 5:05 am
Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy, a tax-supported public charter school, is blurring the line between religion and public education by promoting Islam, according to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota. The excecutive director Chuck Samuleson said that the ACLU purpose is to protect the Bill of Rights. It does not want to close the school or ask for return of any funding only “negotiate certain things” to allow the matter to be settled. He praised the Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy for doing an excellent job with a difficult to educate population noting that it should be used as a model for other schools.
Being that Catholic Schools also do an exceptional job with at risk Hispanic students, perhaps the ACLU is indicating a willingness to help these schools structure their religious activities so they too can receive public funding by becoming a charter schools. That would certainly help thousands of Minnesota families who now pay for the private schools as well as the public school.
Maple Grove
January 25th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
We love our teachers. They deserve fair pay and our respect. In these hard times, when even the UAW is considering concessions, it is not rational to think that Education Minnesota can expect their 1980’s business model to continue. The debacles with the Minneapolis Teachers Pensions illustrate this. Statewide, it would be best if the district could be privatized into stand-alone corporations, and we could get “out”. This is impractical and will not happen. But maybe, the new hires will need to have a 401K instead of a pension. Maybe the deductible will have to go up on the medical insurance and there will be an extra cost for the rest of the family members on the same program. Maybe serious review of the multi-layer administration at the district is in order. I bet there’s a job or two the superintendent used to do that they could start to do again. I know the education voucher, the Freedom of Choice movement, faces another decade before it gets traction, but MPLS School district clearly demonstrates year after year that increasing the per pupil expenditure does NOT transfer into higher graduation rates, higher test scores, or higher retention rates. Good luck on this poison pill.
St. Paul
January 25th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Eliminate the many managers and analysts who do little to support education. This could reduce the education budget by 2% off the top.
Next get rid of silly programs such as the Perpich Center for Arts Education. An elite school for overly privileged kids is not needed and should not be funded by taxpayers.
Minneapolis
January 26th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Federal economic stimulus plan and state money together should fund the most basic of basics: reduced classroom sizes and/or increased number of teaching professionals in classrooms. Example: halve each class to 18 students, or add a second full-time adult (teacher, student teacher, teacher’s aide, paraprofessional) to each classroom that has 25 or more students. All students learn better, and all teachers teach better, when there is a manageable number of students in the classroom. It’s the primary reason why inner-city parochial schools succeed–the teachers are no better trained, the students are no better prepared, and the schools are no better equipped than public schools in the same neighborhoods.
St.Cloud
January 26th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Keep class sizes around 25. Kids are our future invest in them, our community will benefit.The state should pay for extra testing programs, not local tax payers. It just puts on a burden to the schools to hire more administration for more testing it takes away from teaching position when schools are short of funds. Or keep class sizes small so the teachers may handle it, extra testing.
Mankato
January 26th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
There is no simple answer to this problem. Richard Chase at Wilder Research just release a report found in the Star Tribune highlighting the costs of children not being prepared for school. Follow this link: http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/36860224.html?page=2&c=y
The article highlights the fact that government gets more income tax revenue when its citizens are better educated and make more money. Less money would have to be spent on the criminal justice system, as well as on health care and other social services.
$113 Million is the cost to the k-12 system when children aren’t prepared for school.
Yes, parents have responsibility in this, schools have responsibility in this, and the citizens in communities across our State have a role in making sure that EVERY household is SUPPORTED and STABILIZED so that they can continue to work towards becoming fully self-sufficient.
One of the biggest challenges with addressing these long-term problems is trying to this with a 2 year budget cycle. Creating lasting long-term changes is difficult when budgets operate on a two year cycle. The remedial and intervention costs FAR out weigh the costs of providing preventative measures and systems of support.
Art Rolnick of the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis has highlighted this with his research framing early childhood as an economic development issue. For every dollar invested in early childhood, it yields an eight dollar return on that investment. For more information on this research click here: http://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications_papers/studies/earlychild/index.cfm
Thank-you to the leaders in our state who are working on addressing these budget issues, it’s a complex problem with no simple solutions. I wish you all the best of luck!
Stillwater
January 27th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
MN should provide each school district with a state-wide student information system for reporting MARSS, STARS, UFARS, EDRS and so on. Many states larger than ours have done so effectively reducing software and hardware costs, staff and training time just to name a few.
Also, MN is one of a few states that considers speech articulation problems as a disability. This is very costly and makes little sense to consider something as small as pronouncing the letters r and s as a disability. Great cost savings could be realized if this were dropped as a required disability. Even if MN decided that a child should still be afforded services for articulation only problems, much could be saved by avoiding all the special education due process and procedural requirements that come with any state eligible disability.
Thank you for your consideration.
Gibbon
January 27th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Cut pre-K and only have kindergarten 1/2 day. Let the Parents pay for their kids getting watched not everyone else.
Litchfield
January 28th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Senators:
K12, Higher ED and state computer systems should be standardized with open source free software for networks and also free applications for basic loads. For example, NOS’s should use Linux which can be obtained free or for minimum cost. Office type application suites could use free packages such as Open Office or gdocs from Google. This would save schools and state offices tons of money by not paying Microsoft, Novell etc. premium prices for their software. Other apps such as student data applications used by all districts should also be bid at the state level.
A former District Technology Coordinator
Little Falls
January 28th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Aside from all the philosophical issues, there are a couple of immediate concerns that can be addressed. First freeze all salaries at their current levels. Most of our neighbors are at risk of losing their jobs or are already unemployed. All educators should be able to continue to do a great job at their current level of salary and benefits is this economy. Second, deal with health care. Allow for all districts to bargain for health care benefits as one unit. This will spread the risk and give an insurance company great incentive to provide a reasonable level of coverage at a reasonable cost.
Minnetonka
January 28th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Save Perpich Center for Arts Edducation — both the Perpich Arts High School and the related arts outreach and professional & curriculum development mission broadly speaking. This is one of the really special things about Minnesota and we shouldn’t throw it away in a panic.
Conversion to Charter School will effectively kill the school as we know it today as a statewide resource and nullify the broader mission of the Center.
I’d like to add that that the Legacy Amendemnt was recently approved by the voters to INCREASE funding for serveral priorities including the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. When the Governor cut arts & arts education from the state budget at the same time (or really just before) we implement this Amendment, then he is really going directly against this most recent vote by the People. I’d rather see Legacy funds going to the Perpich Center to better deliver on the outreach mission which has been starved by previous years cuts. That would be a cost-effective way to deliver the benefits voters have endorsed by building on and leveraging a great institution.
Grand Marais
January 28th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I’m VERY concerned about the continued strain our state is putting on our educational system, and now it’s getting WORSE!!! I’ve watched the Cook County School system (ISD 166) make cuts for too many years, and now we’re debating whether we can even have a superintendent. It’s frightening. It’s time for Minnesota to face the music and tax some of our most wealthy so that our children can once again get the best education in the U.S. We’ve slipped to the middle in quality of education, and we need to pull ourselves back up to the top again. We’re supposed to be a Brain State, yet our education system is continually compromised. Why? You probably know that 1% of the U.S. population holds 30% of the wealth. Why aren’t THEY making some sacrifices? Pawlenty’s plan hits the middle class-yet again.
Plymouth
January 28th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Actions always speaker louder than words. In the case of our governors actions, education is a very low priority. We have seen his non responsiveness to the U of M an land grant institution. His total lack of interest with each local school district. Number one we need a governor who cares about education and our future, Secondly, I suggest that a large amount of funding comes from the state verses each local district. this would avoid situations such as what is happening in the Osseo school district and make each community stronger.
maple grove
January 28th, 2009 at 10:11 am
First, Early Education for all students should be a state priority, and the model should be ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education). This program (unlike lots of others) is designed around the parents and family as being the primary teachers for preschoolers and this involvement is critical to retaining the learning these preschoolers receive. Highly educated teachers do a tremendous job helping parents do the job we’d all like to think they are equipped to do when they have children. A number of quantitative studies have already been done (we don’t need more), so let’s put the money where it gets the biggest bang for the buck! ECFE works better than any other Early Childhood program. Next, we need to get rid of this ridiculous idea that every child should go to college. A focus should be put on a technical path for those students not wishing to go to college or not able to handle the academic rigor…there is nothing wrong with being a carpenter, plumber, electrician, etc. without a college degree, plus there will always be a great need to fix and service the new products we build. The idea that all high school graduates need higher math is almost humorous, as most of the lawmakers and Governor probably couldn’t pass the testing they have mandated…let’s get real. We do not live in China or India where they separate their young populations early to identify the brightest learners and this is what we are comparing our education system to…in America, EVERY child matters, whether they have to ability to be an Engineer or not.
Roseville
January 28th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Increased revenue absolutely needs to be a major part of the fix. The tax cuts for high income earners need to be rescinded. There can be no tax cuts for corporations. Funding for the new state park pushed by Pawlenty in northern Minnesota needs to be ended. The huge budget cut to higher education is unacceptable. Pawlenty promotes this because colleges and Universities can raise tuition, and this then makes these institutions look like the bad guys. Tuition is already too high, as the state continues its long trend of decreasing state funding for higher education. However, under no circumstances can the state freeze tuition, as this will likely cause permanent damage to these institutions.
Rochester
January 28th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
It’s as simple as supporting our state’s greatest natural resource, children. How can we expect the future generations to take care of themselves, their communities, their state and their nation, if they’re not given the opportunity for a quality education. “You get out of it, what you put into it”. It’s a scary thought.
Anoka
January 28th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
There is no free ride. Nothing is not free… someone has to pay the money…it does not grow on trees! Children may be the futures resource but they are today’s burden.
50% of the people in the USA pay only 1% of taxes that is unfair and nefarious corruption.
It is true you get out what you put in …If you put nothing in you get nothing out..so put something in?!
The unproductive cannot keep feeding multitudes into the system and ask productive people to fund them…it will collapse!
One has to take responsibility for ones decisions in life…The is NO RIGHT TO FREEBIES: health, wealth, housing, food, clothing, schooling etc.
GET REAL, GET HONEST, GET SOME MORALS…IT’S DISHONEST and THEFT… TO ASK OTHERS TO PAY YOUR FREIGHT.
It is also Unamerican, unconstitutional, and poisonous.
The system WILL fail and misery will be experienced by all…History has proven that.
Brooklyn Center
January 28th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
The Governor is proposing to cut LGA again while cutting funding for programs that provide complementary services. We have the same situation in our educational system. The State takes over different parts of the funding for our public schools and in the next budget crunch, the funding is withdrawn with restrictions on how to replace it. We need a consistant, reliable, funding stream to enable the schools to develope a best practice educational system. This would have to be more efficient and cost effective than reorganizing the school district every fiscal year. Health Care is the biggest cost saver. If they purchased it together, it would dramatically decrease the cost. Having the state guarantee a level of funding that communities could subsidize if they wanted. I would like to suggest expanding the sales tax to food and clothing. We could exempt Gov. programs.
Stewart
January 28th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
I think budget cuts should start at the top with government.They should be accountable for every tax dollar they spend.They shouldn’t get a free lunch, I don’t for doing my job.There should be a pay freeze like many are taking these days.They should have no boneses or free money, for passing a law. Were in a difficult time and I think most Americans will have to make sacrifices, probably for the worse.
Webster
January 29th, 2009 at 8:17 am
When the govenor wants to pay teachers based on performance I question that thinking. What amount of progress, do you factor in all the environmental issues the child comes to school with and what about mental needs or learning needs that exist? Why not do a public service commericals about getting parents more involved in their child’s education. Let the govenor promote that.
Cold Spring
January 29th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Tenure must be phased out. Q-comp should be mandatory.
Sports programs paid by participants with school providing funds for students inablility to afford sports. Sport programs have become for the elite. Public education is not for the elite.
Funding for K-12 should be held flat for the next two years.
Medical and retirement benefits need to be renegotiated with new and old employees.
Testing is not an answer for knowledge and passing to next level. A mentor along with some form of testing would be a better indicator.
The program, No Child Left Behind, should be eliminated from Minnesota K-12 Education.
K-12 needs to eliminate federal programs that are not fully funded by the federal government.
Cloquet
January 29th, 2009 at 10:08 am
A temporary 4 day school week would help on both transportation cost and running costs. Special ed costs should be left alone except for the 4 day week for them also.
delano
January 29th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Consolidated school districts with year round school would allow more course offerings, full classes and less duplication. Bigger is not better, but it is better than broke! No other industry idles their resourses for 3 months a year.
How about performance pay for our legislators and govenor???
If it’s such a good idea why are they not standing in line to get it???
Pooling of all districts in the state for health insurance is an excellent idea. Even pooling with WI could work. Also, health savings accounts and VEBA are excellent cost savings alternatives.
Lastly, all non-inclusive activities should not be subsidized by the schools. That is any activity that does not include any and all who wish to participate should not recieve funding from the schools. These are public schools and the activities are, or should be co-curricular, students can not be denied access.
mpls
January 30th, 2009 at 10:59 am
UM should be forced to sell all the parking lots and ramps so they can be on the tax roll LRT will be available /plus many buses NO free rides MEtro transit is available dn
Oakdale
January 31st, 2009 at 2:18 pm
You know as I read these comments on MN education I can’t help but notice the narrow visions and the lack of understanding on the subject. You can only hide behind the statements “The kids are our future” or “Its for the kids” for so long. At some point in time, we as a state must step back and take an objective look at our education system. I think that point in time is NOW. The system is bloated and broken. MN used to be known for its high-quality education system. I attended MN public schools during the 1960’s and 1970’s. I received an excellent education!!! What has gone wrong since that time?
I believe much of the problem to be societal in nature. The family unit of today resembles nothing like the family unit of days gone by. Parental responsibility and involvement in their children’s upbringing is severely waning. The causes of this evolution are complex and many. I believe the pendulum will one day swing back to a stronger, more committed family unit but that change will take time.
Does it make sense to annually throw more and more dollars at a system that continues to produce a significant portion of graduates incapable of melding into today’s workforce and society as productive members? Study upon study shows that as per pupil costs rise, educational quality does not keep pace.
Would it be possible to convene an INDEPENDENT, NON_PARTISAN, NON-UNION council to look at and investigate the big picture? This council would have to have access to all aspects, all crevices and corners relating to education in Minnesota. Am I being naive? Probably….but something has to change. We can’t continue to throw good money after bad.
St. Louis Park
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Please keep Perpich Center for the Arts as a state-supported institution. It is an invaluable resource and does terrific work with its students. My daughter benefited tremendously from her two years there, both artistically (she intends to work in film production) and academically.
I would NOT MIND tax increases to help the state out of this deep budget ditch. We all have to pitch in to help!
The governor’s Q Comp program is a scam and a joke. The money should be used to directly fund K-12 education needs.
Shoreview
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Funding for school libraries should be increased relative to the amount of the General Fund, as studies show that students in schools with full-time librarians and an adequate number of books tend to achieve at greater levels than students in schools with inadequate and under-staffed school libraries. Many textbooks, particularly consumables (such as a whole math series that consists of workbooks that kids take home at the end of the year), have more than doubled in price in the last two years. Schools, like homeowners, are also feeling the pinch in terms of higher costs of heating buildings. No Child Left Behind says educational assistants have to have a BA degree - so they need to be paid more now than before. Teachers, whose salaries are relatively good in MN, still have to keep up with the steep rise in the price of utilities, groceries, etc., just like everyone else. Already the big city districts are planning to close and merge some schools, and lots of administrative offices have also been cut, downsized and reorganized. Schools are doing what they can to work within their budgets, but frankly, they have been starved for years. Please consider adequately funding not only general education, but also special education and English Language Learner (ELL) education. We can’t take many more cuts. Why not cut something else, for a change?
Minneapolis
February 4th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Allow the Minnesota Department of Education Employees to Work from Home /Telecommute. Currently they Rent the building out in Roseville. IF the employees in the same work areas were put on Alternating Telecommuting Schedules, they could share cube space M,W,F “Jane” is in the office and T, TH “Joe” is in the office the nex week M,W,F “Joe” is in the office and T, TH “Jane” is in the office. They would still work on the other days, just form their computers from home. Emplyees need to log in to access their e-mail from home and Many others work on an On-Line Transactional website that logs their sign in and movement through the system. That way the work they do on their non-Office day can be tracked if work Justification is needed.
Cottage Grove
February 4th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
One of our universal human rights is the right to education. We are so fortunate to live in a country where every child has the opportunity for education unlike other places in the world. Education is a public service, not a business. Many of us benefited from this public service or know someone who has. We can even remember teachers who cared for us, helped us grow as learners, and even inspired us. We need to support this public service. When we were educated, someone supported us when we couldn’t as kids. Now it is our time to invest in today’s kids like previous generations did for us.
Q-comp will not solve all our problems. Much of this is based on school performance with standardized testing. Do we want students to be life-long learners or do we want them to do good on tests but really not know what they are learning? Education has continued to be on the chopping block for year with unfunded mandates. We need to lower class sizes and get resources to all classrooms, not just school in high socioeconomic areas. We do need to hold school accountable, but we need a better way to do this not just through testing. We also need to hold our government accountable too.
Like another commenter, maybe we need to look into school districts forming partnerships to share resources together. Maybe we need a council to look into how we can help our education system be efficient, but still meet the needs of the students and teachers who teach them. With our current budgeting issues, they many have to be a volunteer council. I would be willing to volunteer if that means we could help our system improve.
There is not an easier answer on how to fund our schools with the budget and economy we are in now, but we need to invest in our kid’s future. Take a walk in your community school and put a face to our public schools. You will see first hand why we need to continue to support our schools and our education system.
Aurora
February 7th, 2009 at 11:20 am
I have three children in school ages 8, 5, and 2. I am writing on the importance of continuing funding for ECFE, School Readiness, and Early - 5 programs - pre-K offerings. Our community offers a selected few options for children prior to Kindergarden. Headstart is income based so it excludes those of us with “too much” money. Home daycare does not offer any programs due to the fact that you have to be licensed to offer and nobody in our community has that license. Private School’s offer pre-school programs but they are limited to select few and doesn’t help those of us in the general public. The only option I have for my early childhood children to get a start on what Kindergarden will expect of them is what programs the school is able to provide and these funds are mandatory to that program. My 5 year old child was extremely shy and had major separation anxiety issues. These ECFE and School Readiness programs are the reason he will have a successful school experience. They offer opportunities for families to bring their children to play and learn together. Opportunities for parents to learn how to better raise their children from the parent educational helps. My 8 year old went through every year of ECFE from the time he was 2 until age 5, he did the Early 5’s program and the School Readiness. His teachers praise his accomplishments in the classroom, he is at the top of his class and excelling in advanced programs, and it is all due to these Pre-K programs. My 5 year old has become a more outgoing child and has excelled thanks to the programs as well. This is the first year I’ve had to pay to help keep the program open - it’s $180 every quarter - but it is worth it. If any more funding gets cut, I don’t know if parents will be able to financially support the program even though it’s so important to our children. We need your help. My 2 year old ASKS to go to school because it is such a great experience for him. PLEASE continue funding these essential programs. The requirements placed on our children in the schools is getting more demanding each year and these programs set a solid foundation for our children so that they will excell in the years to come. This is the foundation of our future - in a struggling economy we want our children to have the best opportunities before them and this is the place where that starts. Thank you for the opportunity to share my personal experience with you.
Shakopee
February 7th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I read the comments above. It seemed that people just think the per student cost going up is because of adminstration, unions, and teachers who have been in the field a while.
How about state mandated testing? And the curriculum cycle in our districts to the tune of millions of dollars. I think everyone better look at the cost of these areas and then see if savings could be made.
Look at the state mandates line-by-line see what is really needed and then cut the rest. The budget might actually work out without all the blaming that is going on. Let’s be smart (pun intended) about this–we have the opportunity to really clean up education starting with the mandates.
Melrose
February 8th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
To Tim Bowes of Red Wing…
I am an active duty Marine and a participant in that “great government run health plan” that Pres. B. O. was fond of referring to during the debates. Let me assure you, my health plan is more like what you can expect to see, not one like Sen McCain and Pres. B. O.
State run health care simply takes the cost out of the school districts and puts in squarely on the state. It doesn’t change who will pay for it. It doesn’t change that it will be plagued in gov’t red tape. The cost will be enormous, on top of the already 11-15 billion that will be spent on Health and Human services.
On second thought, it may reduce costs. There won’t be any teachers that want to teach here after a time because the health care plan will be horrible.
sturgeon lake
February 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
NOW is the best time to take a look at the many SMALL school districts. Our school graduates, each year, approximately 30 students. They employ a superintendant, principles, accoundant, counselor and of course clerks. Wouldn’t this be the oportune time to consider what is happening? What private business would operate this way? Now is the time to consider doing something about it with the state budget being in the red.
Eagan
February 12th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Nowhere in the numbers do we attempt to break out the cost of competitive athletics. Insurance, transportation, coaches, equipment, grounds-keeping, etc… We continue to put public money into activities that are not core to the schools’ mission. These programs do nothing to affect the obesity crisis in the country. Many competitive athletic actvities have moved to the club system anyway. So if we want to free-market an aspect of current educational spending, let’s dump competitive athletics and focus on academics.
Bloomington
February 15th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
I think it would be very beneficial to the state if the Perpich Center for Arts Education stayed open and fully funded. I am a student there, and I have received the best education of my life at Perpich.
This place is a meeting ground for artists and ideas, and the people that graduate from there are better artists and citizens than when they entered as juniors. This school is open to high school juniors and seniors from all over the state, with dorm facilities for students that live too far away to commute. Most everyone at Perpich loves the experience of being there, and a lot of alumni stay involved with the school after they graduate.
Thank you for reading my concern,
Jackie Korum
Senior at Perpich Arts High School
Minneapolis
February 15th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Please do not transform the Perpich Center For Arts Education into a charter school. Perpich completely transformed my life for the better, and removing the audition process and the dormitories would have such a negative impact on this amazing school. Perpich is reason I was accepted to New York University, why I have since maintained a 3.8 GPA, and why I strive, every day, to make a positive contribution to the world (arts-related and otherwise).
Perpich saves kids who would otherwise fall through the cracks, and even more often, it supports kids whose talents are not appreciated or able to be supported at other schools. I ask you, on behalf of the future attendees of Perpich, to leave the Arts Center as is.
Northfield
February 15th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Please continue to support the Perpich Center for Arts Education. It is an invaluable institution to the state of Minnesota, and can only continue to flourish with sufficient financial support from the state. As an Arts High alumna (the second of three Perpich students in my family), I have first-hand knowledge of the tremendously beneficial role that the school has served for hundreds of young adults from all across the state. In terms of personal growth, I consider my time at Perpich second to none - Arts High has shaped me both artistically and intellectually, and it has the potential to do the same for countless future students. PCAE needs state funding to survive; please don’t disable this vital organ in Minnesota’s educational system!
Mankato
February 15th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Please fun Perpich Center for Arts Education, and it’s many important Arts outreach programs. The Arts are important in Minnesota too. Not only does the institution provide a safe and comfortable environment for students from all over Minnesota to practice their art whilst completing a high school education, it also provides outreach to community arts programs through out the state. Sending educators out to work with students, as well as supplying grants to educators who wish to expand their artistic horizons.
Someone earlier said that “It’s as simple as supporting our state’s greatest natural resource, children.” Without PCAE we take away a great deal of that support. Not only through the option of the Arts High School, but also through the other programs PCAE offers.
Nerstrand
February 16th, 2009 at 12:10 am
Is it normal for a senior in high school to wish that the school year would never end? Is there something wrong when a student dreads graduation? These may seem like very elementary questions. Most people would say, “Of course all students can’t wait until they graduate. They hate school.” And in most cases, they’d be right. However, you would find a very different answer if you were to ask the seniors at The Perpich Center for Arts Education, especially if you asked me.
Perpich is a very special school in many regards. It is a public school run by the state of Minnesota, and has a focus on art education. At the same time, it also places strong emphasis on academic excellence. This is what makes it a great school on paper. However, I would like to go a little deeper into what Perpich actually is.
When I found out I had been accepted to Perpich, I didn’t really know what to expect of the school. Would I be welcomed? Would there be cliques? Would I have to worry about bullies? I didn’t have a clue, but I knew one thing for sure- any change would be a good change compared to the high school I attended at the time. I got along all right at my old school, but things didn’t seem to be as good as they could be. It seemed like the only way to get ahead was to act like a jerk in order to fit in with a specific group. The school had a lack of academic rigor and challenge, and everyone simply went to high school because they “had to.”
I moved in on the 27th of August, and I will never forget that day. I was moving in my things, when two guys came and knocked on my door. The shorter of the two said he liked my music, and then said his name was Tielure. The taller one then told me that his name was Nik, and that they were the RA’s for the boy’s wing. We talked for a bit, and then they left. As I shut my door, I remember smiling to myself. After I had moved in, there was an orientation to get to know the new dormers. After meeting some of the other guys in my wing, Nik and Tielure came into the room, and announced that there was going to be an Ultimate Frisbee game outside. As we walked to the field, everyone was excited and full of energy from the day. When the game got underway, I remember kids actually used my name, not any of the nicknames that I had at my old school. I had never felt so good. In the two hours we spent playing that night, I didn’t hear a single negative word come from anyone’s mouth. I truly couldn’t believe that what was happening to me was actually real. I was blown away. After the game, we all went inside, talking and laughing all the way. When I got to my room after sign-in, my mom called me, and asked how things were going. I told her the truth; I told her that after just a day, I knew that I belonged. This was a turning point; for the first time in my life, I could be me.
From day one, Perpich became my home.
I could act like myself, and not worry about having to fit in with a group. In fact, there really were no groups or cliques at Perpich. Every hung out with everyone, and you could really sit anywhere you wanted at lunch. Acceptance was a high priority at Arts High, and everyone made an extra effort to respect other people. This could be seen from the way people dressed, to their sexual orientation, to their skin color. People at Perpich were just genuine, kind, loving people.
I could go on for days talking about why I love my school, but I don’t need to, it speaks for itself. Every senior I know wishes the year would go by slow. Alumni come back and visit, telling us how much they miss Perpich and the people who go there. Nowhere else have I experienced the community and family that Perpich offers. Not only do students connect with one another, they also bond immensely with the faculty.
I would like to say that I am now attending the University of Minnesota, Morris for Anthropology and Theater.
We need this school, now more than ever. Let us take history into account. Drawing a comparison from one historic time of economic crisis to parallel the one faced by Americans today, we can look at the Great Depression. Now, keep in mind that the Great Depression lasted for more than a decade, and was far, far worse in every way than the crisis we face now. During this time the art discipline was supported by government programs such as the Public Works of Art Project and later the Federal Art Project. The artists employed by these projects (over 5,000 at one period of time) chose themes based on American culture and history. The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, was able to complete his Mount Rushmore Memorial with funds supplied by the WPA. Other “starving artists” were able to survive the hard times by painting murals on the lobby walls of government buildings. There were some of these individuals who became artists of note, such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. Many of the nation’s most memorable skyscrapers (the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and Rockefeller Center) were completed in the early 30’s.
Under the New Deal, the notion of work expanded beyond the construction of roads, bridges, dams, and buildings. Government patronage for the arts inspired creativity, provided entertainment, and promoted American culture. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) became the New Deal’s largest employment agency. Under the WPA the Federal Art Project, the Federal Writers’ Project, the Federal Theatre Project, and the Federal Music Project employed thousands of artists, writers, actors, filmmakers, musicians, and dancers. Other government agencies also supported aesthetic endeavors. The Resettlement Administration (RA), later absorbed by the Farm Security Administration (FSA), produced documentary photographs, and the Treasury Department’s Section of Painting and Sculpture commissioned post office murals. Not only did this New Deal for the arts put Americans to work, it also celebrated American workers, the nation’s history, its talents, and its diversity. Arts projects did not necessarily ennoble ordinary lives, but these lives became the subjects for plays, interviews, murals, and photographs, producing a documentary record of how the Great Depression affected them.
Like other New Deal remedies, however, the arts programs endured controversy. Critics charged that these programs were wasteful, amateurish, or that they flagrantly promoted the New Deal agenda and radical politics. At the same time, independent artists such as John Steinbeck and John Ford, who found creative inspiration in these socially conscious times, came under fire from forces who saw their work as leftist dogma disguised as art.
So if that is what we stood to gain from the 1930’s Great Depression, imagine what we will miss if we abandon the arts now during our “depression.” It may be Perpich Center For Arts Education today, but tomorrow it will be public school arts programs, followed by everything else.
If money is needed, instead of cutting money from PUBLIC education and art, perhaps we could cut it from the millions of dollars being put into building a new stadium for teams owned by PRIVATE businesses.
Apple Valley
February 16th, 2009 at 12:18 am
I fully believe that you should fund Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, Minnesota. This school has done so much for many different artists around Minnesota and sent them places they would have never dreamt about. It opens up opportunities of a lifetime! I just graduated in 2008 and now I attend college at Kansas City Art Institute. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for this amazing high school. Our future generation of artists should have the same opportunity that was given to me two years ago.
Perpich has been through many obstacles throughout it’s 19 years of operation, without your help we could lose it all.
Please help PCAE and its future!!
Waconia
February 16th, 2009 at 9:25 am
I am a voter, a tax-payer, graduate and a strong supporter of the Perpich Center for Arts Education as a state wide public high school. This institution is a valuable part of our Minnesota educational landscape and a model for inspiring creativity as well as preparing students to become articulate, intelligent citizens. The arts outreach and library resources that PCAE provides should not be eliminated to the entire state(M.S. 129C). More than 10,000 Minnesota teachers (many from greater Minnesota) rely on the Perpich Center for expertise in standards, curriculum, instruction, assessment and teacher mentorship models. All 850,000 students must demonstrate achievement in the arts for graduation, according to Minnesota statute. The arts are another way of knowing the world—as important as the other disciplines to our individual and societal health.
During my commencement (1992), it was stated that the arts brought more revenue to the state of Minnesota than the following events COMBINED: 1991 World Series, 1992 Super Bowl, 1991 US Open, 1991 Stanley Cup and 1992 NCAA Final Four. This statement demonstrates that arts bring in substantial revenue (as well as other intangibles, such as creativity, innovation and originality) to our economy.
Why wouldn’t we, as taxpayers, continue to invest our money into profitable areas of arts? The Arts High School reinforced my aptitude to utilize an arts perspective in business applications EVERY DAY.
“Take a Risk” was a mantra constantly repeated while I attended the Arts High School. It is time to take the initiative and not waste the opportunity to invest in current and future Minnesota students (funneling a portion of the arts tax to fund the Center might be a great first step). Repurposing the school as a charter school, as proposed by Governor Pawlenty, takes this vital resource away from the students who need it the most. Let’s uphold the foresight of previous legislatures and find a way to keep the Perpich Center for Arts Education open as designed: to strengthen the arts education community, and improve access to high quality arts experiences to students statewide!
St. Paul
February 16th, 2009 at 9:39 am
As an alumnus of the Perpich Center for Arts Education’s Arts High School, I would strongly encourage the MN Senate to not cut the funding for this extraordinary, and revolutionary program.
The Arts High School is a spectacular school, important for both the students who study there as well as the audiences at each of the public shows, readings, and gallery openings. The Arts High school allows students to grow and prosper artistically and personally, bringing together students who think in art and dream in art, and live to work in the arts. I don’t need to tell you how important the arts as a whole are to Minnesota, the United States, and the world, to bring together cultures and nationalities, to illuminate the unique qualities in groups of people as well as individuals. The Arts High School is unique in allowing students from all over the state of Minnesota to work together to create great art visually, musically, physically, and literarily. The environment fostered by the Arts High School allows students to excel in their chosen “art area”, as well as to explore others, and to creatively take on academic classes as well.
The Arts High School, as well as the Professional Development Institute and Research and Curriculum Development, are an important resources for the artists and students of Minnesota. It was important when it was founded by Rudy Perpich in the 1980s, was an incredible experience for me and my classmates in the 1990s and 2000s, and will be an extraordinary program for the young Minnesota artists of the future, but only if the funding for this phenomenal institution is extended.
Virginia
February 16th, 2009 at 11:32 am
My 3 children have all completed their K-12 education in Minnesota public schools and moved on to Minnesota State Colleges and Universities for further education. During the time they were in our local public school I was very dismayed to witness the decline in opportunities for growth beyond learning the correct answers to the mandated standard tests. I think we are not only ‘dumbing down’ the populous of our State, but severely damaging the future of our economic climate through eliminating expansion of critical thinking in our children. I believe this needs to be dealt with at the local school-board level, and not mandated and held hostage by school funding first passing through the State’s coffers. The State should contine to have responsibility for meeting the needs where local assets aren’t enough. As an example, we have a great public asset in the Perpich Center for Arts Education, where any Minnesota child can attend, without consideration to their economic status. My third child was lucky enough to be one of those who did. Living out-state, this is possible because Perpich is a State public school. There is no tuition, so it is available to all. It also has a safe dormitory environment for kids, like mine, to live if their home is outside of the Metro. I did have to struggle to pay for the dorm costs, as those are not free, but it was worth every penny! The Arts High School fosters critical thinking across the high school curriculum while allowing our children to explore their artistic expression. My child is a creative, energetic asset to the future of our State. I am a great supporter of the Perpich model. I think it is in all of our best interest to create other State public enrichment schools open to all with education research centers, like Perpich which strive to provide support to all public schools in the State. I think the governor once mentioned a math and science school using the Perpich model. We need to do that!
One last comment, as a life-long Minnesotan, I owe my K-post graduate education to the generations past who valued public schools enough to pay the school portion of their taxes whether or not they had kids in the public schools. Quite frankly, I still consider this an obligation I have as well, to see that future generations can have the opportunities available to meet their potential.
Minneapolis
February 16th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Hi there,
My name is Serina. I am a recent graduate from Perpich Art School and I know that arts and music are an important aspect of education; they provide enlightenment and creative outlets for those who might otherwise resort to crime, gangs, or other illegal activities.
Perpich was created the year I was born and I consider myself destined to have gone there, which I did. And now that I have graduated it is all being cut from future generations.
The YELLOW SLIVER in your pie chart represents the thousands of lives that have changed as a result of attending Perpich.
I want future artists who come after me to have a place to call their own, and that place is Perpich Center for Arts Education.
I do not want to see crime and juvenile delinquency arise in our suburbs and in our city. Minneapolis has always had a special place in her heart for the arts.
Let’s not change that or we will regret the kind of people we create as a result, a people more concerned about the fatness of their wallets over the education and future of the world of their children.
Thank you for your time,
Serina
Hewitt
February 16th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I would encourage you to look at my SF440. A bill designed to create some pilot project “commonwealth districts”
that would share administrative services, superintendants, financial management, transportation, food, property, technology, purchaings, on line and more.
These I would hope will bring districts and units of government together for real savings in operations.
Plymouth
February 17th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Thank you for soliciting ideas about the state budget deficit. I know that the deficit is large and there will have to be cuts, but I feel that it is very important that the Perpich Center for Arts Education (PCAE) continues to operate as a state agency with sufficient funding to fulfill its mission. The governor’s current budget proposal would severely slash and then eliminate funding for the center, and proposes turning it into a charter school and getting rid of the staff development and outreach component. This would render the school unable to fulfill its mission to serve students from the entire state of Minnesota.
As an alumnus of the school (literary arts, 1992), I cannot tell you enough about the difference that PCAE has made in my life. I grew up on a farm in southwestern Minnesota and attended a small high school with few elective classes due to small enrollment. I did not have many opportunities to be exposed to the arts in general or literary arts in particular, or to innovative teaching methods, such as I experienced at PCAE. My family would not have been able to afford private school, and the fact that I was able to live at the school made it possible for me to attend, since I grew up about ninety miles away. I thrived at PCAE, and went on to study English (creative writing), studio art, and Spanish at Macalester College in St. Paul. Inspired in large part by the excellent teachers at PCAE, I later became a middle school English/Spanish teacher. I don’t think that I would have had those opportunities without my experience at PCAE.
While mine is just one example, PCAE serves the entire state of Minnesota, including all socioeconomic groups, and insures that students from farms, small towns, the iron range, the inner city, and the suburbs all have an opportunity to receive an amazing education at its high school. In addition, its crucial outreach component reaches thousands more students each year as it provides additional programs and staff development and training to teachers across the state, helping students fulfill the Minnesota state education standards in the arts.
As a state, we have a long tradition of valuing education; we recognize it as an investment in our future. PCAE is a state treasure and a unique national model, an example of what is working today in education. As an alumnus, an educator, a mother, and a concerned citizen, I urge you to allow it to continue to serve our state.
Thank you.
Belgrade
February 17th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
I was just like to say that I am utterly embarassed by some of my fellow Minnesotans reaction to educating our youth for the future. It is disgusting to see that some feel children are a “burden”. Minnesota, let’s look at helping and encouraging our youth instead of casting them aside. In rural areas, the cuts are very deep as many have part-time superintendents. Many schools are increasing class sizes, cutting teachers, and cutting programs while operating at a bare-minimum of opportunities. In rural areas, electives are few and far between, with only required classes being offered. With the demand for increased standardized testing and implementation of RTI, differentiated instruction is key to the classroom. This creates a major burden on the teacher and time, along with classroom size, is vital in making it work. Teachers will not be effective if they do not have time to prepare for class or have time to adjust for the multiple learners in their classroom. Increased fundng is key and vital to the advancement of our young people. Cutting programs, athletics, arts, etc., only hinders a society in the long run.
My solution: 1. The legislature should analyze and adjust the formula that is given for pupil funding to adjust to certain areas’ needs. 2. Put a sales tax on clothing of 1%. The revenue generated from the MOA alone, would help offset the costs of education.
West Saint Paul, MN
February 18th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Early childhood development equals economic development. Rob Grunewald, regional economics analyst and Art Rolnick, senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minnesota have written a detailed paper on this subject and can be found at minneapolisfed.org
Our state has historically had one of the most successful economies in the country because it has one of the most educated workforces. Research has shown that investment in early childhood development programs brings real (that is, inflation-adjusted) public return of 12 percent and a real total return, public and private of 16 percent. It is time for Minnesota to put its money where the return is: Prepare our disadvantaged children for a successful education and their rightful place in society. We should create a foundation for early childhood development. This idea isn’t new. Minnesota has a chance, even in tough budgetary times, to make proper use of is limited resources where they can get the best possible public return, which is the correct way to evaluate economic development.
Jordan
February 19th, 2009 at 7:51 am
We all (including the government) need to live within our means. Quite spending money you don’t have, wait until you have the money then use only that amout! And this idea that our children have to be in a new multi-million $ school in order to learn is absolutly crazy! I drive by many schools that are made of brick that have been abandon, it makes me sick. Simply put, Quit spending money that isn’t there…
Bob
Jordan
February 19th, 2009 at 7:59 am
We all (including the government) need to live within our means. Quit spending money you don’t have, wait until you have the money then use only that amount! And this idea that our children have to be in a new multi-million $ school in order to learn is absolutley crazy! I drive by many schools that are made of brick that have been abandon, it makes me sick. Simply put, Quit spending money that isn’t there…
Bob
Minneapolis
February 19th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
The Perpich Center for Arts Education is a beacon for Educator’s statewide! Nationwide! It is so important we maintain its funding! It must be allowed to continue its mission of providing resources to educators who teach art/theater/writing/dance/media production. It must be allowed to continue to create standards for the teaching of the arts. Compared to the various artforms, it’s much easier to evaluate the effects of different educational methods in mathematics or science. The arts require an agency to make sure our teachers and our kids are connecting. Furthermore, the basis of hard sciences don’t change; in contrast an artform is vital and living thing–its the culmination of the creative work of artists. Educators need a lifeline into that work. Perpich provides this!!! PCAE is doing important work that is both necessary and important to the lives of future creative minnesotans! FUND IT!!!
New York Mills MN
February 19th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Many school boards in greater Minnesota indicate that declining enrollment has cased the problem of a shortage in revenue; which would make sense schools recieve a certain amount of dollars per student enrolled in that district. So if more students in a school system creates more money therefore, if schools have more students than more revuene; However what is the root to the problem of declining enrollment which creates the lack of revenue;
Well some would say smaller families ( 1.5 children per household) however, though there are fewer children per household we have more households so that is not the main factor, some would say that for rural schools that young families are moving to the metro; however, a recent studied showed that young people ( 18-24) do leave rual america for higher education purposes however, when they are ready to rasie a family they are finding ways to move back to rural america.( so that’s not a big factor either) So then what would happen to the school systems if the 1.6 million children killed through the govermental policy called “Choice” (or abortion would have the right to be born, the right to go to a school, to be educated and learn how to be positive citizen, to go to the voting booths and have a voice as you and I do? What would happen if in five years 1.6 million 5 year olds entered the school sytems to start their education, and what would happern when these 1.6 million young people would enter higher education and pay titution, What might happen to these educational institutions? abortion is not only injustice upon the life of the unborn child, but the ripple effects on a socity are long lasting. Likewise it’s inhuman to think that through abortion a governmental policy will eliminate those from having babies that may have some type of diesase, disorder, are may have low funtioning parents. The Plan Parnethood movement’s agenda to eliminate the low functioning class of people is not any different thinking then Hilter’s thinking when he thought he could rid the world of the Jews so He could create a perfect race.
If schools need revuene then they need students and where will the students come from? Save the unborn child, and we will save the schools and we will have stronger society with the Lord’s help. He will make a way were there seems to be no way. Government tends to make policy’s; to bring short term solutions, instead of looking at the root; what’s causing the problem why are we dealing with this year after year; Policy makers could make their job less burdensome if they would attack the root of the problem instead of throwing money into short term solutions.
Life, liberity and happiness for all of life is a consitutional right. And this means the baby who’s herat begins to beat, and whose blood begins to flow shortly into the devlopment process; ( 18 days). One cannot say they are both Chrisitan and pro-choice; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the God of the Hebrews is a God of Life; He redeemed mankind from death and gave them eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus. God is pro-life.
Bethel
February 20th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Let see. I do believe there was a time long ago when the state was trying to get everyone on board for the lottery. The pitch was…..this money will go to schools and DNR now it has been stripped down, diverted, twisted and tangled into the biggest farce. General fund my rear end, this is just a way to exploit the people of Minnesota. Governor Pawlenty has sure done his best to take Pawlenty from the people who trusted him to do his job. Instead he is just another “Bushy” in full action. The political slight of hand, make some noise over here so you don’t pay attention while I rob you over there.
The people who have turned this into a race card don’t see the picture, IT IS NOT ABOUT RACE it is about survival of the fittest. He who has the most wins, don’t you get it, poor is poor not matter what color you are. Starving is starving. Stop exporting our $ to help countries that hate the US, stop the madness and take care of the US first and if we can help out later great. It would be like Feed you neighbor steak and you watch and starve…. Obama is only going to be able to fix very little of what Goerge Bush did to this country in 8. It is about accountability what happened to that. It is all about what excuse can be used to get you off the hook. Wake up People let is start in MN and make out legislation accountable for their action, I elected you but I didn’t say hey free willy with my check book. And that is exactly what they and every other politician is doing LIE< CHEAT <STEAL<or give it away to another country it is the American way. Starve America, watch our country disssolve before your very eyes… Stand up and say something. Political correctness is another way of saying if you feel slighted make something. LIFE IS NOT FAIR< GET OVER IT. I don’t have to work cause I get free money to do so. STOP IT, you must work for Supplement no more free rides for anyone. I am sure this could crack a hole in the deficit and get rid of plenty of people collecting welfare from severla states link this up would ya, DMV linked, link the welfare
Lakeville
February 20th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Please be sure to fund Perpich Arts High School. It is the only place in the entire state where we artists in 11th and 12th grade can have an opportunity to grow.
Brainerd
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Good morning,
My name is Kathy stevens and I have been a licensed
child care provider for 15 years and an advocate for
providers, children and families that I serve. As a provider mentor in Crow Wing, Cass and Todd county, I have the opportunity to hear the views from a variety of providers.
There are real concerns regarding Governor Pawlenty’s proposed budget cuts.
1. The first item I would like to address is the proposed 3% decrease in CCAP (child care assistance program) payments to providers and the 3 % increase in parent co-pays. Families are receiving child Assistance because they are unable to pay childcare on their own and often cannot pay the current co-pays. Providers have to absorb the co-pay. In essence the providers will be taking a 6 % cut with the new budget proposal.
In 2004 providers in Crow Wing County were a maximum reimbursement of 112.50 per week based on a 50 hour week per child from CCAP. That amount was raised to 121.34 in 2006 per 50 hour week or $2.42 per hour. That is a total increase of $8.84 per week from 2004 to the current time. The parent’s co-pay is deducted off the top of the CCAP reimbursement.
As an example, let’s say the parent’s co-pay was $150.00 per month or $37.50 per week. The parent can’t pay the co-pay, the governor reduces the amount paid to the provider so the provider is actually receiving $80.20 per week or $1.60 per hour per child. The Governor’s budget cuts will break the early childhood care and education system by presenting barriers making quality child care unattainable for families on CCAP.
I have always had a waiting list of families to enroll in my program. At the current time my enrollment of full time children has dropped from 10 to 4. This loss is due to a variety of reasons. The budget cuts have affected busing to daycares creating a loss of enrollment. I used to draw from 4 elementary schools and now am assigned to one school. I have lost children this last year due to parental layoffs or job loss and the loss CCAP by self employed persons due to the formula used to determine qualification. These self employed parents had never been on the CCAP system before but because of the declining housing market found their businesses losing income. Both the parents and I were told by social service and DHS representatives that these parents should close their doors and find an entry level job so they qualify for system support but because of the waiting list wouldn’t get back on CCAP because of the waiting list.
As of 2/09 there are 145 documented cases of families not children but families in Crow Wing County waiting to receive CCAP. That doesn’t count the ones discouraged to sign up because of the waiting list. Crow Wing County ran out of CCAP funds for new families in June of 2008.
Children are grieving the loss of their friends, the uncertainty of whether they will be in care with their friends or not. The mealtime conversations reflect the stresses they are feeling. During the elections there were conversations regarding who they were going to vote for. One was voting for Obama because he could fix everything. I’m voting for McCain because my grandma says he will make things better. I’m not voting for the guy with greasy hair because he lies. I’m not voting for any of them, I’m voting for Johnny Appleseed, I can trust him!
More recently they were all cheering because one of their friend’s mom got a job and he could come back to daycare. These children are worried about their futures and the futures of their friends at 3, 4, and 5 years old. The funding cuts are not just affecting budget deficits, they are affecting the emotional and mental health of our youngest children. Cutting CCAP has a direct affect on these children and their well being.
Item # 2 is the concerns I have over Senate file #72 which addresses the creation of a MN state wide rating and improvement system known as QRIS. This bill is proposing there be a rating scale in place so parents can choose care and early education programs using a star rating system much like that of a hotel or restaurant. The current pilot rating program is the Parent Aware. A 4 star rating would be the highest rating attainable at 32 – 40 points. To receive full points under the section for teaching materials and strategies, a provider must use an approved curriculum. The cost of purchasing and implementing these curriculums is not cost effective for family child care providers. There is an option for providers to submit to DHS what is called a “homegrown curriculum”. I submitted mine in November and received an e-mail that it had been received but would not be processed for months. At this point, Parent aware is not set up to process home grown curriculum for providers that are not involved in one of the 4 pilot projects.
This rating system has its merits but does not fit current economic times. Providers just do not have the money to attend expensive conferences, higher education or purchase expensive curriculum. Providers have the option to apply for yearly grants.
#1. There already are not enough dollars to support the few grants that are applied for. In the last grant round out of the approximately 180 licensed providers in Crow Wing County, 20 providers applied for grants, 11 were approved and 9 not approved. The barriers of mandated training , purchase first and reimburse later for items and training, and the requirement of staying in business for staying in business for two more years. Providers aren’t sure they will be in business for another week much less make a two year commitment.
Many providers have been living off their credit cards to survive and do not want to take up precious credit lines to wait for reimbursement which may take several months.
#2. Under the current rulings, providers cannot be away from their program for more than 30 times per year. That includes, doctor appts, family commitments such as school plays, etc and my being here today counts as being gone for one day. Variances can be granted so providers can leave for the purpose of obtaining further education but is issued at the licensor’s discretion. Variances are not equally administered throughout the state. Providers can take on line classes but not all classes needed are offered on line, not all providers have access to a computer or the required high speed internet for on line classes. If child care programs are to succeed, training needs to be more accessible and user friendly. The current budget cut proposals will eliminate the TEACH Scholarship program which helped providers obtain further education and career counseling to help them navigate the system so they have the opportunity to earn early childhood degrees or CDA (child development associate credential).
#3. Providers should have the option of voluntarily participating in QRIS. Parent Aware is a voluntary system in which providers can participate once the pilot project is completed. SF#72 appears to remove the voluntary participation piece. A very wise former teacher stated that the family child care programs be “state certified” versus a report card or star type system. Providers need to be able retain their individuality, program goals and values. Parents look for these qualities when choosing child care. Parents also need to be recognized for their ability to choose child care on the merits of the program versus a star program based on whether a provider has reached to top of the career lattice or not. I would never reach the 4 star rating because I lack a BS in early childhood education and to reach the top of the career lattice, the provider would need a Doctorate Degree.
If the bill passes, the supports need to be in place to assist providers in their ability to achieve the points needed to reflect quality ratings. The provider’s years of experience, community involvement and professional memberships need to be considered to get a full picture of the provider’s value to the community and the families they serve.
In this time of strife and struggle, early childhood education and care needs funding support not more restrictions or unsupported mandates.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak this morning.
Bloomington
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Public sector employees could share in the sacrifices made by private sector employees. 401K retirement plans in the market have been reduced by 30-40% and employer matches are typically 2-3%. Public employee pensions get an increase every year regardless of economic conditions and the employer (tax payer) match is 5.5% to over 7% depending on what plan they are in. Until the economy recovers the employer (tax payer) match to public pension funds could be reduced to 2-3% and the benefits could be frozen. I am more than willing to pay higher taxes to help resolve this issue; however public employee unions need to make sacrifices on par with private sector employees.
Minneapolis
February 24th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I am writing to strongly advocate for continued funding for the Perpich Center for Arts Education. I think that this organization is crucial to a vibrant and progressive society. At the Perpich Center students are trained to think creatively. This training happens both in the arts education and in the teaching of more standard highschool classes. Innovation in society is caused by creativity and the Perpich Center has the ability to give creativity training to both students and teachers through out the state of MN. I graduated from the Perpich Center and pursued my education all the way through a Master’s Degree. The Perpich Center taught me to pursue my dreams and gave me the tools to succeed.
North Minneapolis
February 25th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Why we should cut education budget:
Clue #1:
It amazes me that not even a 10th of 1% of the Mpls population didn’t show for the State Budget townhall meeting in N.Mpls. The people are not being educated well enough if they thought, they were suppose to miss that meeting. SERIOUSLY!
Clue #2:
We have major education issues as it stands and we want to add to it by cutting the budget.
Clue #3:
Now, I respect my government enough to speak the truth, did some one fail accounting classes? WE ARE IN A DEFICIT! What happened to the checks & balances? It’s looking like we need better education, which takes money, time and effort.
Last, it’s important for representatives and senators to know, you’re in office because we believe you are going to take care of us. Education is first. You won’t have to dig too deep to know we need financial support in our education. Think of what we are doing to the children’s future, when we treat them like they are just another budget. Remember, they have to take care of us.
Woodbury
February 26th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Minnesota, in 1997 brought a program - MN Computers for Schools to our state to assist schools with their technology needs. It was a partnership between the State, Corporations, MCFS and the Department of Corrections. This program lost funding in 2000 but became a 501(c)3. ReUse is a concept that needs to have a larger voice in the discussions around - how to stretch our educational dollars, and become more “Green” at the same time. Schools have been expected to do more with less for so long, we’re now cutting into the bone. We have schools across the state that are fighting to work with 8-12 year old equipment that doesn’t meet online testing standards. MCFS is a solution to help schools with the declining budget. When schools are cutting significant class subjects, increasing class sizes, we have to be smarter in how to spend our educational dollars. It would be nice if the state would have a larger voice in ReUse.
Holdingford
February 26th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Why are we focused on early childhood education anyway? When we are desperate to cut budgets, this is one that certainly needs to be cut. Since the public schools were started in America, earlier didn’t mean better. Even kindergarten hasn’t always been considered necessary. Also, how about just getting back to teaching the three R’s in elementary school? You know, reading, writing and arithmetic? Why is all the politically correct stuff necessary to spend our hard-earned money on teaching our kids. The teacher’s unions have really got us all on the early childhood and politically correct band wagon so that we all think is necessary what really is a lot of hooey. Also, we need to give families a financial reason to stay intact so that we can have better adjusted children so that all the special education programs will become unnecessary. We have a bunch of undisciplined children who can’t concentrate if their life depended on it because they have dysfunctional families because they are not intact.
Red Wing
February 27th, 2009 at 9:01 am
To Mr. Cave in Melrose - - Thanks for serving. I, too, am a veteran of US military service but I have a different, slightly more positive memory of the health care afforded our active servicemen and veterans than you imply. Yes, I realize there are a myriad of problems currently with existing military care, employment, and veteran care thanks to the last four administrations yet that is beside the point. I think you misunderstood my commentary — the MN State legislature has passed a Statewide Employees Insurance Pooling bill which would allow ALL educators’ unions and other public service employee unions to “Pool” their resources when BUYING their insurance plans - thus allowing all districts / members of this large group to SAVE potentially Millions of dollars in insurance and keep annual increases to a predictable minimum. This would not be a state-run “government health program” as you referred to it, but a method for all public sector unions / employees to buy into much more reasonably-priced health insurance.
Unfortunately, Guv. T. Paw would rather push his Q-comp concept to try to eliminate Tenure in teaching across the state and ultimately break the education unions from within - - so he VETOED this measure TWICE, even after it was modified per his specifications for reconsideration. This was a bill that would truly save communities’/districts’ across the state millions of dollars annually on top of providing/allowing public sector employees’ affordable options for their own health care. It is not a Cure-ALL, but it is the first step in curing all that ails public education in MN - - stable funding.
To all those in support of the PerpichCAE, Great job in getting your message out but really folks, focus on the Biggest Piece of the Puzzle first - health care - and all else may fall into place. Write your legislators to re-introduce and support the Statewide Educator’s health bill and you’ll have a better chance of saving your beloved Center for Arts Ed.
Oh - and to Mr. Smith in Bloomington - - Thanks for that shortsighted perspective: when things are great for 4, 6, or 12 years straight financially for the private sector with double-digit annual profits, do Teachers or any Public Sector employees receive similar, in-kind raises?? NO. Until we do - - don’t expect us to “feel your pain” similarly when you don’t have your consistent success. Educating our youth is NOT cyclical. Economic reports ARE.
Keep Active and Let your legislators know - - Public Education MATTERS!
T. BOWES
Nevis
February 28th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Please do not cut funding for Perpich Center for Arts Education. My son is a student at Perpich and the opportunities opening up for him now were unimagninable last year at his small high school in the northern part of the state. The arts seem to be the first thing targeted when there are budget cuts to be made. I find this extremely short sighted. Even a cursery education in history and culture of the world’s civilizations expounds the importance of support for the arts. Art is not another word for hobby or frivolity. The arts bring jobs, revenue and business to Minnesota. If cutting the budget is all about the money, then look at the money. The voters in Minnesota have already expressed their understanding of the importance of the arts. Perpich is a vital school for our state. Please do not cut down what has so brilliantly been created.
Breckenridge
February 28th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I would agree with those who say education cannot be viewed on business model basis but there are many business practices that could be followed that would save incredible amounts of money. Grouping together state wide to purchase food for meals, negotiating insurance, healthcare and liability, generic supplies, and standard furniture. These are just a couple of examples. What about technology? Can we put together a common set of software that all schools use, store it on a state wide network and share the expenses?
I believe we think too small and too local when we talk about schools. I am from a small school district that is losing students and thus losing funding. Yet, our overhead costs to maintain buildings and bus students goes up. We are losing the ability to offer our students a broad education on a local basis but no one is talking about developing systems to take a class of 30 students from around the state and teach them with the communication technology we already have. Why must every district reinvent the wheel and protect their turf from the outsiders.
We owe it to our children to work together to solve these problems as a state and nation, not as a city or town.
St. Louis Park
March 1st, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Taxation in General: I am not happy with how MN money has been managed. This is MN Nice for really angry!
1. It started with Ventura – giving back money – 2 years in a row – no saving for the future
2. Then under Pawlenty no increase in taxation despite inflation and problems – instead used up all transfers and reserves.
3. We had and have a revenue problem and it means taxes must be increased. If you don’t raise taxes in good times you have to do it in bad times. We have had bad decision-making and now we have to pay for it.
4. We must make very good use of new federal funds. Hopefully this one time money will give us some leeway for one to two years of time to do some zero based budgeting. We knew it couldn’t be done in one session, but perhaps by the end of May 2010 it can be. It is essential to get our priorities straight on the expense side. Then we can line up what income is needed.
My priority – young children and their families – the foundation of our society
Why?
I am a grandmother, a parent educator, a pediatric nurse practitioner by background, and the past president of NPEN (National Parenting Education Network). All of my professional training, 45 years working with families and my personal experiences has led me to believe that we must protect and invest in families as the basis of our society.
Brain research has proven that pregnancy and 1st 2 years of a child’s life are critical in brain development. The actual structure of the brain and how it can take in information in the future is laid down. By preschool we are already doing makeup if in the first 2 years the child hasn’t had appropriate child care and education. We ignore this research at our own peril. Half of MN children are not ready for kindergarten. We do not have a sound foundation of the future of our state.
So what are we thinking when we contemplate cutting childcare by 7%(3%for copays + 3% for reimbursement + teach program) 12,000 Child care providers are small and fragile businesses that perform a critical service for the families (current workers in our state) and future workers (187,000 of our children that are in licensed child care) and thus for the state itself. We have over 7000 of the neediest families on the CCAP waiting list!!! We should be investing, moving to higher and higher quality…. not cutting and getting no return on our investment in the future, when 12-16% is possible. (Rolnick).
And investment must be maintained and increased for young families by providing them with education about their essential role in preparing children for success in school and life.
Minneapolis
March 5th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Dear Senators,
My name is Lauren DeLand, and I am a graduate of the Perpich Center for Arts Education. PCAE was founded by Governor Rudy and Lola Perpich, who believed that the economic and cultural rewards that come from education in and through the arts ought to be available to all Minnesotans. Twenty-four years later, PCAE is a model for arts organizations across the country, and continues to provide the most equitable educational opportunities of any K-12 school in the state, having served 14,122 K-12 students in 88 school districts.
The Perpich Center for Arts Education is the Arts Department of the Minnesota Department of Education, and develops curriculum and standards for the state. PCAE is comprised of two main entities: the Professional Development and Research center, and the Arts High School. Over half of the center’s annual budget goes to the PDR center, which distributes this funding through a network of teachers and administrators in schools and arts organizations throughout Minnesota to improve teaching and learning through the arts. More than 15,000 Minnesota teachers, artists, students, and parents from 750 towns have participated in these programs, seeding $20,000,000 in grants to schools and organizations across Minnesota.
The Arts High School is a statewide, residential, tuition-free public high school. Prospective students apply to join, and are evaluated on the strength of their academic record and their arts audition. Over 2,050 students from 375 Minnesota towns have attended the Arts High School since 1989. At 95%, the school’s graduation rate is amongst the highest in the state, and AHS students annually earn $750,000 in post-secondary scholarships. Many of these alumni return to Minnesota to contribute to the state economy, including our billion-dollar arts and cultural industry.
Governor Pawlenty proposes to dismantle the Professional Development and Research center, and to transition the Arts High School into a non-residential charter school. Were this proposal implemented, it would disenfranchise tens of thousands of Minnesota educators, students, and families who rely on PCAE to provide arts education resources in communities where there are none. The amount of money that the Governor claims would be saved by this decision equates to a rounded decimal in the state budget— not even roughly equivalent to the $100,000,000 investment the state has already made in PCAE. By the end of the biennium when the governor’s proposed changes will have taken place, the worst of this financial crisis will be over, but the state will be deprived of a nationally-recognized resource that serves thousands of its constituents.
In honor of Lola and Rudy Perpich, and in recognition of every student who awaits the renewal of their promise that in Minnesota, comprehensive K-12 education is not expendable, I ask you to oppose Governor Pawlenty’s proposal for PCAE, and to preserve PCAE’s status by upholding Minnesota Statute 129C.
Sincerely,
Lauren DeLand, Department of Art History,
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Minneapolis
March 9th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I would like to advocate for the Perpich Center for the Arts. This is an amenity that is priceless. Cutting the funding and making it a charter school would eliminate the most important part of the program–that is the out-of-state students who are able to come to the school and find that they and their talents are not only worthwhile but valued.
After years of investment, it would be like throwing money away to close this school, to say nothing of the young lives that would be affected.
There is nothing wrong with paying for our needs. Please consider raising taxes rather than cutting everywhere and everything. I don’t want my state to lose its standing as a place that values education, human services and its people.
Minnewaska
March 16th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I like it.
Morris
March 16th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Well i really dont know much baout the educational buget but i thik that you should equalize the amount to each school so you dont \got one school thats all fancy and great and one school thats all run down and old.
st louis park
March 18th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
While education is critical to the success our citizens and state, even more critical is health and human services. In the governors proposal H&HS bears disproportionate cuts while K-12 reaps the benefits. It does our kids a disservice to teach that it’s OK climb on the backs of the poor. A few recommendations: use the budget crisis as fodder for discussion in the classrooms and around the dinner table - ask kids for their suggestions on how/where cuts should be made in the overall budget and in K-12 in particular and get their participation in forums such as this; empower every level and every position in our schools to make recommendations to increase efficiency and find dollar savings (note: this is the reason Southwest Airlines is successful while many other airlines are failing - each employee is empowered to find solutions and customers can tell); approve Sen Marty’s health care plan to decrease cost of insurance for school districts.
Minneapolis
April 5th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Do not punish children for the mistakes and greed of adults. Children need a solid education and they need great teachers can provide a quality education because they know their students. Class sizes must be low in early elementary years so children are able to form a solid foundation for life long learning. Please increase funding for e-12 public education. Strong schools are the roots of our communities and we will pay later for not providing quality education for children now.
Hopkins
April 6th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
As a supporter and parent of an Arts High graduate, I am speaking on behalf of keeping the Perpich Center for Arts Education (PCAE) as it was originally established. Please do not repeal MN Statute 129C.
This nationally known and admired school should be a model for ALL high schools. Rather than having its budget cut or being changed to a charter school, it should be studied for its calm and supportive environment, sense of community amongst staff AND students, love for and dedication to the school amongst current and past students, staff and parents, its challenging academic curriculum and the incredible development of the student’s talents and skills in BOTH academics and the arts.
Legislators and taxpayers who wonder what Perpich does and whether it is worth a few dollars from each Minnesotan should visit the school. See a play, go to a concert, see visual art in the gallery, read/hear poetry and fiction. You will be amazed and incredibly proud of what our young Minnesotans can and will continue to produce.
There is a lot of misunderstanding about what Perpich is and is not.
Perpich is NOT an “elite” high school for wealthy students. The student and/or family’s finances are not taken into consideration. There is a multi-step application process to gain acceptance into Perpich based on artistic aptitude, academics, teacher recommendations, a personal essay, etc.
Perpich is NOT a high school for students who are at risk of academic failure. Perpich has students who excel academically and those who struggle–just as every high school. However, the majority of students who enter Perpich dramatically improve their grades. Perpich has a much higher graduation rate AND a much higher percentage of those grads going on to post-secondary education than just about any high school in the state–if not the nation.
When a student is finally recognized and receives serious instruction in the area in which they excel–EVERYTHING improves in that students life; grades, relationships with family, friends and teachers, self esteem (which leads to less substance abuse and depression), college and career prospects–EVERYTHING gets better.
Perpich is NOT “easy” school academically. This was a concern of ours because our son is very bright. Though Perpich does offer AP classes, the general academic curriculum at Perpich is extremely challenging, even compared to highly regarded high schools such as Hopkins.
In addition to meeting all of the usual standards, the students participate in “real life” projects, in vigorous class discussions, have a variety of required and elective courses to select from, are often found hanging out with a teacher after school to further discuss their class, project, life, art, whatever. (There is an amazing mutual respect and camraderie between staff and students.) Teacher’s aren’t stuck from a watered down text book; they cull articles from The New Yorker, The Atlantic, from Master’s theses and college texts and other “intellectual” and academic publications.
Students are thrilled when they are admitted to Perpich and are sad when they leave. Senioritis at Perpich is the opposite of what it is at other high schools.
Perpich is small enough that the staff has time to work with individual students; whether they need even more challenging work or they need more time or a different teaching approach to learn the material. The teachers at Perpich are also artists and have learned methods as to HOW to teach to students with creative minds.
Perpich does NOT just produce Artists. Many graduates of Perpich go on to get degrees in non-Art fields. Grads report that Perpich was an excellent preparation for college academics. Students often remark that they felt they knew themselves–their strengths, challenges, identity, self esteem–more so than other college students.
College Professors report that Perpich grads who do pursue the arts are so advanced it’s as if they’ve already received their college freshman arts education.
College recruiters say that Perpich is to the arts what Nebraska is to football. Colleges (from Arts to Ivy League) and Conservatories heavily recruit Perpich grads and extend lots of scholarships, grants and other opportunities to Perpich grads.
Perpich does NOT produce “starving” artists. A career in the Arts is not limited to being a painter, ballet dancer or garage band musician. There are many average to very lucrative positions available to creative people. Many corporations are actively seeking creative “out of the box” thinkers to run their companies.
As opposed to my daughter and son’s former high school (Hopkins), the staff at Perpich is constantly searching for and providing college information, scholarships, competitions, grants (in fact all students must write a grant proposal), career and job information and opportunities while they are at Perpich and after they graduate. I’ve never experienced a school staff that is more concerned,more actively involved, more available to students and parents than that of Perpich.
Perpich does NOT have Sports. Well, there is a faculty/student soccer team and some awesome hacky sac matches.
Perpich does NOT have bullying. Guilty.
Here are some other facts about Perpich:
•It provides a high quality academic education to Minnesota students at a cost that is on par with the average state per student cost.
•Since PCAE was created over 2,050 students from 375 Minnesota towns have attended the Arts High School, and
•More than 15,000 Minnesota teachers, artists, students, college faculty and parents from 750 MN towns have participated in professional development programs.
• Professional development: 6000 K-12 teachers engaged in Center professional development programs
• Learning experiences: Perpich center staff worked with 14,122 K-12 students (2008)
• Best Practices: Teachers applied their learning in classrooms serving 115,095 Minnesota K-12 students
• 88 school districts: Center staff worked with students, teachers and administrators in 88 school districts in 2008.
• Financial support: 68 grants totaling $470,000 (in the biennium) were awarded to schools and school districts
• Achieving excellence: Over 15% of Arts High School students received state and national-level commendations for excellence in their art field.
• An essential resource: innovative in providing outreach promoting K-12 arts education throughout Minnesota
• Library: the Library has built one of the most extensive arts and education collections in the state
• The center is dedicated to improving K-12 arts education for all Minnesota students and educators through innovative programs and partnerships centered in the arts.
•Its mission is to provide all MN students the opportunity to develop and integrate their artistic and academic abilities to their highest potential.
•We need to protect the $100 million investment the state has made in arts education through the Perpich Center in the past 24 years by continue its funding.
It would be so backward to close one of the best educational institutions that Minnesota–in fact–the nation has. Instead, we should have more schools modeled after Perpich.
Imagine what our society would become if high school students could receive a challenging academic education as well as have their individual area of talent be recognized and nourished–be it the arts, engineering, mathematics, history, chemistry, etc., etc.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Brant
Hopkins
April 6th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
I want to clarify a comment made by Julaine Heit, a Perpich supporter, who wrote:
“…eliminate the most important part of the program–that is the out-of-state students who are able to come to the school…”
Perpich doesn’t admit students that reside outside the state of Minnesota. I believe Julaine meant “out-state” students, meaning those who live in more rural areas of Minnesota.
No taxpayer funds are spent on students who do not reside in Minnesota.
Eveleth
April 20th, 2009 at 10:13 am
I’m from the iron range and the virginia schools continually cut from the bottom and say they cut from the top. They cut a principal one year and just made him dean of students. They always look out for eachother at the top. I know they don’t need a principal and dean of students in school that aren’t very populated anymore. I also know that healthcare is a huge problem in the schools with it continually going up and be negotiated into the contracts. I know there needs to be some kind of changes there and it would save a lot of money for the schools. Healthcare seems to be a hug expense and burden on many companies. I think that if healthcare reform of some type came in to play we would see a large savings for all companies and schools. Only 1 state has healthcare reform in the us and it’s working. I’m tired of seeing all he continuing cuts to education and something has to be done now so we don’t have this problem every year. Is anybody in the senate and house really looking for ways to fix the problem or just cutting without a plan?
Brunsville
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:32 pm
The NEA and MEA has hijacked the education and political system. The unions hide behind what is good for the children but I question if they want any real education reform. Their focus appears to be more on expanding their own ranks, expanding their power, securing high pay with-out insisting on teacher accountability at the same time, securing jobs for even marginal teachers (as long as they have been in the system enough years) and the guarantee a secure retirement while at the same time blocking other highly qualified individuals from entering the teaching profession by supporting arduous and convoluted entry requirements. Good pay and benifits all sound good but it is out of step with the realities of workers in other industries. Most teachers have never worked in industry or tried to run their own business. They do not appreciate the risks that real people face in making a living. The hard work of the best teaching professionals needs to be rewarded but local administrators need to have the power to enforce standards and insist on high expectations. In addition, unions have become such a powerful lobbying block that politicians are afraid to enforce real reform and cost saving actions. Spending on education should remain in-line with inflation. (Higher education is in need of cost control even more than K-12)
St Paul
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:25 am
Education is important, Health and Human Services is important, as is Transportation and everything in the General Fund. We should not be fighting each other for support of these needed programs.
The Governor has stated on numberous occasions that Minnesota does not have a revenue problem, but rather a spending problem. It is interesting that Minnesota is planning the state budget using the Federal stimulus money to reduce our deficit. Have we run out of tricks to balance our budget? Sadly the Federal money won’t balance Minnesota’s budget. What other shifts will take place this year?
Minnesota was a great state that cared its people. The focus on the citizens is changing. That fact makes me sad.
In a time when people are being laid off in record numbers, higher education funding is being cut. Where will those laid off worker get retrained?
Children are going without health care. How can our children be educated when they are not a school?
The rate of obesity in our children is on the rise. Minnesota is one of only three states who do NOT require physical education for students to graduate form high school. How can we help our children?
The research has been done stating early childhood education is a good investment. One that pays off on the long term. Yet that funding is always in jeopardy. Why?
Early Childhood and Family Education funding is always on the chopping block. Doesn’t it make sense to help families when the children are young to have a benefit for all in the future?
We need support for education, at all levels.
We need support for all people in Minnesota.
With that, Minnesota will be a strong state with workers ready to do all the jobs we need here at home. Our citizens will be ready to compete with anyone.
The budgets deficits that Minnesota has been facing the past few years speaks to a larger issue. We need to continue to fund the programs that are truly benefiting Minnesotans. This fighting over who should sustain the cuts is fragmenting our state. Let’s assess the programs that are working and change those that are not. Before funding can be cut, that assessment must be made.
With so many valuable/essential programs, we need to think about raising revenue. The cost for service is increasing: utilities, gas, inflation, & health care. Minnesota can’t cut its way to being great.
Thank you to all who have responded. Thank you to our legislators who are working for us. I hope good results will come for Minnesota.
Sincerely,
Sue Snyder